Life After Death

Chapter 60

Weeks continued to pass for everyone with Christmas being close by. As such, many of the students began getting ready for the holiday. However, Eri had not known much about the holiday to be rather confused about the events going on around her. “Daddy, what’s Christmas?” Izuku stopped in his tracks realizing neither him or the girls explained Christmas to Eri. “Well Eri, Christmas is a holiday where those that are part of certain groups pay honor to who they call they’re savior being born. But nowadays, it’s a holiday where a man called Santa comes to visit your house on the 24th to leave presents under everyone’s Christmas trees if you’re good.” “What’s a Christmas tree?” Izuku followed her to the common space where Jirou and Kaminari were putting lights up on the tree. Though a mishap happened where Kaminari found himself tied up with the plug in his mouth and powering the lights to make him look like a tree a bit. “For the most part, a Christmas tree is this tree with lights and pretty ornaments put on. The whole thing is also topped with an angel or a star.” “Pretty ornaments and a star?” Her eyes lit up when she heard this before the door opened to the Big 3 coming in.

“Hey Izuku. Hey Eri. Ready for Christmas?” Eri ran over to Nejire and began speaking of what she heard. “Mommy! Did you know there’s a day where a man breaks into our house and puts presents under a tree with bright lights and pretty ornaments!?” “You mean Christmas? Yeah. Wanna help us decorate?” The small girl nodded and followed Tamaki and Mirio to the other side of the room. Meanwhile, Nejire came over to Izuku to talk. “Ochako’s having some trouble wrapping presents upstairs for you know who’. You mind helping her and I’ll take over Eri watch?” The two looked over to see the small girl holding a wreath around her for them to laugh. “Sure. Shouldn’t be a problem to give a hand.” Nejire gave Izuku a quick peck before he left to handle assisting his other girlfriend. As he got to her room, he heard what sounded like her growling a bit before a shout. “Why don’t you just stay still dammit!?” Izuku laughed to himself while opening the door to see Ochako having several pieces of tape on her as well with several pieces of destroyed pieces of wrapping paper around her. “Need a little help?”

Izuku walked in to pull the tape on Ochako off before putting the pieces and the crumbled up wrapping paper in a bag. “Sorry, I kinda stink at this stuff.” “Not a problem. We all have our strong and weak points.” Izuku pulled a piece of wrapping paper out and placed the box holding a gift for Eri in the center. He began folding it over on itself to get dimensions and cut off the excess. To keep it in place, the green haired boy used a small bit of tape in the center before folding the paper on the sides in and then the top and bottom with it held together by another piece of tape. He continued the cycle with the other half to leave Ochako stunned. “It took me an hour to try and wrap one. Way to go with outshining me.” “I took a job during December at a mall doing this. The more you do it, the easier it gets.” He sized the next gift’s wrapping paper before walking Ochako through the steps on the side. When the gift was finished, the two smiled knowing it was done rather nicely and looked like Izuku’s. “So how’s Eri downstairs?” “She’s learning about Christmas. At least, the best she can with thinking Santa’s some creep that sneaks into your house to leave you gifts.” Both snorted at this before continuing with the next few gifts to get it done relatively fast.

“So how’s Ryukyu? You said she was kinda shaken up after the attack by Camie.” Ochako frowned a bit before answering. “She said it was something where she saw a vision of her past she can never forget, but wish she could. Whatever it was, it had to be something scary.” A lump formed in Iuzku’s throat as he most likely knew what that memory was. “That thing, I think I know what she saw.” “What is it?” “...When I was in the hospital all the way back to when we first met, Ryukyu told me about a girl she knew that jumped the same way I did. Like me, she was quirkless and treated like she was inferior. But unlike me, she didn’t survive….at least for long.” Ochako felt a chill down her spine realizing the pro she trained with saw what she did. “D-did she say what she saw after?” “The girl she knew was dying on the sidewalk crying for her parents forgiving her.” “Oh my god.” “Sometimes, the worst lessons are the ones we learn the hard way. Now a quirk that is able to turn someone’s own personal pain against them is in the hands of someone’s hands that knows how to cause pain on others.”